Longboat Town Hall will host Colony’s P&Z hearing

Not many residents usually attend public board meetings on Longboat. But there is an exception.

It’s the proposed development at the site of the former Colony Beach & Tennis Resort, a contentious topic on the island.

Yet the town’s Feb. 20, Planning and Zoning Board hearing for Unicorp’s application — it  includes a request for the remaining units from the tourism pool and an application for a planned unit development, outline development plan (often referred to as PUD/ODP) and final site plan — is scheduled to meet at Town Hall.

Staff chose Town Hall for the hearing based on the assumption that the crowd would be the same size as the December meeting, said Planning, Zoning and Building Director Allen Parsons.

More than 85 people attended a December Planning and Zoning Board meeting where Unicorp National Developments brought its latest application for development to the town. And in January, more than 100 people gathered to hear the Town Commission deliberate the Orlando-based developer’s appeal for a zoning code change.

Both of those meetings were moved from Town Hall to accommodate the crowd.

Almost half the seats of the Longboat Key Club’s Harbourside ballroom were filled for the Planning and Zoning Board meeting. Residents at the Town Commission meeting filled almost every seat of the Longboat Key Club’s Ringling Room.

The chamber can seat 80 people. Town staff could use the antechambers and lobby as overflow seating, which brings the total possible attendance to 185, Parsons said.

“Fingers crossed that we’re right about that, because we don’t want to inconvenience anyone,” Parsons said.

Planning and Zoning Vice-Chairman Ken Schneier said he was surprised to learn the board would hear Unicorp’s application at Town Hall. 

“I think that there are a lot of people who are interested in this event,” Schneier said. “It won’t be as comfortable or as clear as having everyone in one locale. It should be enough seats.”

The meeting is a continuation of the Planning and Zoning Board meeting from December, where the board voted to table its hearing of the PUD/ODP and site plan that had been written with the assumption that a zoning code change, which Unicorp had sought, would pass.

The developer in January withdrew its request to change the zoning code. 

Unicorp President Chuck Whittall said he thinks more people understand what he is asking the town for and will therefore draw a smaller crowd than past meetings.

David Lapovsky, Preserve Longboat president, said he thinks Town Hall will be packed come Feb. 20.

“I’ve heard from a number of people who plan to come,” Lapovsky said. “I’d be concerned about Town Hall having the capacity to hold them all.”